Friday 30th October

Saturday 31st October

The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis,who is often credited as the inventor of rugby football. The trophy is silvergilt and has been presented to the winner of the Rugby World Cup since thefirst competition in 1987. It has been held twice by New Zealand (1987 &2011), Australia (1991 & 1999) and South Africa (1995 & 2007), and onceby England in 2003.

Venues

OLYMPICSTADIUM (LONDON)

The venue for the memorable 2012 LondonOlympics will become West Ham FC’s new home in 2016.

Address QueenElizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London E20 2ST

How to get there
Stratford, which is served by the Central and Jubilee Undergroundlines, the DLR and London Overground, and Stratford International are theclosest stations, both around a 20-minute walk to the stadium. Mainline trainservices run from London St Pancras and Liverpool Street stations.

Capacity54,000

TWICKENHAM
(LONDON)

The home of English rugby staged its firstgame in 1909 and also hosted the 1991 Rugby World Cup final.

Address TwickenhamStadium, Whitton Road, Twickenham TW2 7BA

Capacity 81,605

WEMBLEY(LONDON)

The home of English football opened in 2007 having been rebuilt and hosted a record-breaking crowd (84,068) for a clubrugby game when Saracens played Harlequins in March.

Address WembleyStadium, Wembley, London HA9 0WS

Capacity90,000

Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester

Gloucester's ground has an enviable historywhen it comes to international rugby. Kingsholm hosted its first Test match wayback in 1900, when Billy Bancroft led Wales to a 13-3 victory over England. Hisopposite number that day was one Octopus Gamlin, or Herbert to his mother.Kingsholm didn't host another international for 91 years and when it did,12,000 fans watched world champions New Zealand score eight tries as theycruised past the USA 46-6 in RWC 1991 thanks to a hat-trick from full backTerry Wright. It was later the venue for a 2000 Rugby League World Cup matchbetween New Zealand and Lebanon. Home to Aviva Premiership side Gloucester,Kingsholm is widely regarded as the noisiest crowd in the league, largely due tothe boisterous inhabitants of The Shed stand. In 2007 the main grandstand wasredeveloped, increasing the total capacity to 16,500.

Capacity - 16,500.

MillenniumStadium, Cardiff

The Welsh national stadium may not be thatold, but it has already sealed a place in rugby history. The foundations ofthis atmospheric ground have been shaken to the core twice as Wales secured SixNation Grand Slam victories here in 2005 and 2012. Situated a stone's throwfrom Cardiff Central Station, it is the second largest sports venue in theworld with a fully retractable roof. Built to replace the Arms Park, it openedwith rugby (Wales beating South Africa) before becoming the primary host venuefor Rugby World Cup 1999, with Australia overhauling France in the final. Sincethen, its turf has held Test matches as well as Celtic League and Heineken Cupties. It's not all about the oval ball, mind: Wales play football here, too,and the FA Cup Final took place here from 2001 to 2006.

Capacity - 74,154.

BrightonCommunity Stadium, Brighton

Stadium located on the outskirts of thecity of Brighton & Hove – a short hop on the train out from the citycentre. Constructed at a cost of £93m, the ground won plaudits and awards forits semi-circular stand roofs and tubular supporting steelwork from both fansof sport and architecture. Built to replace the local football team's GoldstoneGround, it is spacious and comfortable, with luxurious padded seats.

Capacity - 30,750.

Villa Park,Birmingham

Based in the centre of the country withgreat transport links in to Birmingham, Villa Park is expected to attractpeople from all over the world with the Rugby powerhouses that are Australiaand South Africa both set to play here.

This iconic 43,000 seater stadium isequipped with all the modern day facilities you’d expect from a world classvenue and is one of England’s best loved stadiums. Villa Park is bound to be afirm favourite amongst RWC 2015 fans.

Back in 1924, a North Midlands select sidewere thumped 40-3 by New Zealand, and in 1953, a Midlands County XV were alsodismantled, this time 18-3, by a Kiwi outfit including legendary All Blacks BobStuart, Richard White and Peter Jones. This touring group was less successfuloverall and endured a poor run in Wales, losing to Cardiff and drawing with Swanseabefore coming up short in the Test.

Capacity - 42,785.

EllandRoad, Leeds

The stadium has already staged Englandfootball internationals, Rugby League internationals and finals, and was amongthe venues for Euro 96. Leeds was also chosen as a host city as part ofEngland’s bid for the 2018 World Cup.

Leeds may be a hotbed of rugby league – thereigning Super League champions, Leeds Rhinos, play just down the road atHeadingley – but Elland Road's famously feisty old-school atmosphere makes itperfect for the passion and noise of a Rugby Union World Cup fixture. The codehas been played here before, if only once: in 1992 over 14,000 turned up towatch the South African national side, who had just been readmitted to theinternational game. Boasting players like Naas Botha and Robert du Preez, theybeat a North of England XV. And while it may retain its historic charm, thevenue has great views.

Capacity - 37,914.

Stadiummk(Stadium MK), Milton Keynes

The originally named Stadium MK is home tothe MK Dons. The ground has staged a handful of rugby union games: in 2008,Saracens played Bristol in Milton Keynes, and during the 2010-11 season,Northampton Saints used Stadium MK as a base for their assault on the HeinekenCup knockout stages. The Saints defeated Ulster and Perpignan in front of bigcrowds in the quarter- and semi-finals only to lose out to Leinster in theMillennium Stadium decider. Saints have since returned to face Saracens, andboth sides may play future games at the stadium, too. The arena has expandedthis year, with a new tier adding 10,000 more seats.

Capacity - 30,717.

SandyPark, Exeter

Home to the recently-promoted AvivaPremiership side Exeter Chiefs and their passionate, chanting fans, Sandy Parkis a bastion of English club rugby. Closer to Cardiff than it is London, Exeteris an historic Roman city in Devon with a rich history. The earliest recordsshow that Exeter Chiefs played a match as early as 1873. Built to replace theCounty Ground in 2006, the Chiefs' new home came complete with the planningpermission to expand, rising from 8,000 originally to 10,744. A combination ofExeter's establishment as a top-flight club and Rugby World Cup 2015 will seethe capacity double to 20,600 over the next two years. This will make SandyPark one of the biggest club rugby grounds in England.

Capacity - 12,300.

St James’ Park, Newcastle

Hosting its first match in 1880, St James'Park is the oldest football stadium in the North East of England. Outside ofLondon, it is also the second biggest sports ground in England. The stadiumitself was built on the site of the city's execution gallows, hence the name ofone stand: the Gallowgate End. Home to Newcastle United Football Club since1892, the stadium has also hosted international and 2012 Olympic football, aswell as concerts from the likes of Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. It issituated at the heart of the city of Newcastle, famed for its passionate localsand bustling nightlife. St James' Park will provide a lively venue for RugbyWorld Cup 2015.

Capacity - 52,409.

Leicester City Stadium, Leicester

Like Midlands counterpart Pride Park, theLeicester City Stadium replaced an old ground with a state-of-the-artall-seater facility. It has seen significant oval ball action already:Leicester Tigers have played six matches here, including a 2005 Heineken Cupsemi-final, which they lost to Toulouse, and a 2006 quarter-final in the sametournament, which saw them defeated by Bath. The jinx was broken by a win overLlanelli in a European Cup semi in 2007, and they've since got revenge over Bathon the ground, too. In 2006, to celebrate the centenary of Springbok overseastours, the stadium hosted a World XV v South Africa contest. The Springbokstook the honours 32-7.

Capacity - 32,312.

Manchester City Stadium, Manchester

Located in the east of the city, opened inthe summer of 2002. British athletics heroes Jonathan Edwards and PaulaRadcliffe set Games records to win gold in the triple jump and 5000mrespectively. The City of Manchester Stadium had rugby at its heart early on.In the Sevens final at the Games, New Zealand defeated Fiji to claim gold.Among the champions that day were All Blacks Mils Muliaina, Bruce Reihana andskipper Eric Rush, while the legendary Waisale Serevi turned out for Fiji.Manchester City Football Club moved in the following year and have been thereever since, dramatically winning the English Premier League at the ground inMay 2012. The capacity can be increased to 60,000 for concerts, with Oasis andTake That two of the star attractions to have played at the venue and, thanksto pioneering smart card technology, 1,200 people can enter the ground everyminute. The City of Manchester Stadium has also hosted international rugbyleague, and the super league’s Magic Weekend event in 2012.